$323

I am incensed.  I’m angry.  I’m shocked.  And, frankly, I’m naively surprised.

Now, when I tell my story, those of you in the know will say, why the poor innocent, what did she expect?  Well, I’ll you what I expected.  Not a bill from Northwestern medicine for $323 for a Telehealth appointment of less than seven minutes to fill out a form.

My husband was transferring from one assisted living facility to another.  (By the way, he’s been in assisted living for over ten years. Consider the cost.)  He needed a form filled.  The nurse practitioner asked such pertinent questions as his weight, his height—already on file—and if he had a flu shot.  Was this a strain on her professional ability?  I doubt it.

Husband in new place, all going well, I get a message from Northwestern’s MyChart.  The bill for filling out a form I could have filled out myself was $323.  Let me keep reiterating that amount.  Because it is outrageous.

Now my husband has insurance.  Regular Medicare and a supplemental.  Northwestern says Medicare won’t pay, and I’ll have to appeal.  But I still owe $323 for a less-than-seven-minute conversation to fill out a form.

I have tried to be accommodating.  I understand there are charges involved in “medical” care.  Even form-filling.  So I offered them $200, which to me seems a reasonable amount for something that shouldn’t really have cost anything.  Oh, no no no, they want blood from this stone.

Now I know many of you—make that most of you—out there can rival my story of outrageous medical bills much more drastic than mine.  And I’d love to hear from you.  Meanwhile, I’ve written to my Congressional representative and will take this up with other agencies.  Maybe something will come of this.  Maybe nothing.

But aren’t we all just sick of being taken for suckers?